Phoenix Semiconductor wins DLA Phase II contract for legacy defense chips

Phoenix Semiconductor has won a U.S. Defense Logistics Agency Phase II SBIR contract to recreate four discontinued microelectronic components for defense programs, including a critical chip for NAVAIR’s Nimitz-class carrier launch system. The award aims to reduce obsolescence risk and speed domestic supply of drop-in replacements for mission-critical legacy chips. Why it matters: - The contract targets a long-running defense supply-chain problem: mission-critical chips are often discontinued years before the platforms that use them leave service. - Phoenix Semiconductor’s approach could cut redesign costs, shorten lead times, and reduce dependence on hard-to-source legacy parts for active U.S. defense systems. - The effort is especially important for Navy systems expected to remain in service through the 2030s. What happened: - Phoenix Semiconductor won a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract from the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency. - The award covers Proposal L2-0516, Topic DLA241-P01. - Phoenix Semiconductor will design, fabricate, and validate four drop-in replacement chips for components in shortage across U.S. defense programs. - The first and most strategically significant chip is a recreation of the Signetics 82S100, a Bipolar Field-Programmable Logic Array first manufactured in April 1975 and discontinued in the late 1980s. - Naval Air Systems Command is funding development of that chip. - The 82S100 is a critical component in the Catapult Assisted Take-Off but Arrested Recovery system used to launch every fixed-wing aircraft aboard a Nimitz-class carrier. - Phoenix Semiconductor says the award supports a secure, domestic, and enduring supply chain for legacy chips. The details: - The Navy has said Nimitz-class carriers will remain in service through the 2030s. - Replacing the carrier system at the board or platform level would require qualification testing, certification, and shipyard availability. - Phoenix Semiconductor says a system-level replacement could cost tens of millions of dollars per carrier, while its chip-level approach avoids that work. - Defense platforms often stay in service for decades, while commercial semiconductors are typically discontinued within 7 to 10 years. - Phoenix Semiconductor says that mismatch drives a persistent obsolescence problem across the Defense Industrial Base. - The company cites average redesign costs of $5 million over five years per instance for Department of War programs. - The company also cites more than $2.4 billion in annual Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages mitigation costs. - Phoenix Semiconductor says its Phase II award builds on completed Phase I work. - The company says it has already produced a first prototype lot of cycle-accurate replacement chips and tested them in a live commercial system without hardware or software changes. - The award aligns with the DLA Strategic Plan’s Modernization Acquisition and Supply Chain Management Line of Effort. - The award also aligns with FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act provisions on microelectronics obsolescence mitigation, supply chain risk management, and domestic manufacturing expansion. - Phoenix Semiconductor says its patent-pending process does not require new silicon, a foundry, or original wafers. - The company says its replacements are form, fit, and function compatible with original parts. - Phoenix Semiconductor says the chips eliminate the need for board redesigns, software updates, or downstream re-qualifications. - The company says each component will undergo qualification testing and system-level integration testing. - Phoenix Semiconductor says the components are designed to meet or exceed original performance specifications in harsh thermal and electrical environments. Between the lines: - The contract signals continued Pentagon interest in keeping legacy platforms operational without expensive full-system redesigns. - The focus on a carrier launch-system chip shows how a single obsolete component can create outsized risk for major defense assets. - If Phoenix Semiconductor can scale the approach, the model could be relevant well beyond this one Navy application. What’s next: - Phoenix Semiconductor will move ahead with design, fabrication, and validation of the four chips under the Phase II award. - The company will also continue qualification and integration testing for defense use. - Broader adoption will depend on whether the replacements perform reliably in operational environments and can be manufactured at scale. - Phoenix Semiconductor invited readers to learn more through the company’s LinkedIn page .